THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FOOD FEST- WE APPRECIATE OUR VOLUNTEERS, FINANCIAL SPONSORS, BASKET RAFFLE DONORS -PEOPLE & LOCAL BUSINESSES, DONORS OF FOOD & PAPER PRODUCTS, DONORS OF BAKED GOODS, PLUS ALL YOUR PRAYERS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FEST!
2024 OUR 23RD ANNUAL LEBANESE-AMERICAN FOOD FEST-
Welcome to our food fest page, please find us on Facebook.com/melkitescranton for more up to date photos & news at it happens including anything weather related for Friday Aug 9:
We have a small parish family but a large spirit! Many youth have volunteered to prepare and serve your delicious homemade food, as well as their parents. Our chairpersons again this year are Alicia V. Patchoski, Katie Patchoski, Paul Patchoski=foods, logistics & prep, Kathie B & Karen Kane with many helpers on baked goods, Betsy Zaydon-baskets & ads, Paul Prezzia-sponsorships.
We are a fest on a small residential street=held in a parking lot across from the church. Our neighbors have been very patient with all the foot & road traffic, so please respect their properties. Please enter off lower Jackson St. as Cabrini is a one-way. Parking is limited, and there is no parking onsite. You may wish to park in the surrounding area near St. Lucy, Jackson St., Ninth Ave. or Main Ave. near Price St. and walk in. Our church building is on the right hand side but across the street the fest is held in the parking lot between homes.
Delicious homemade Lebanese Foods: Kibbee, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Spinach & Meat Pies, Chicken Shish Kebobs, tabouli, garlic tuom, bread, etc… Pastries include baklawa, shredded wheat with cheese/nuts, farina, plus cakes, cupcakes, tandy cakes & cookies. Local picnic favorites are sausage & pepper sandwich on hard roll, potato pancakes, pizza frita, fries, burgers & hotdogs with or without chili sauce, canned beer & coolers, soda & water (no clams) Priced menu for above will be posted prior to event for viewing- There is no pre-order or curbside pickup. Walk through the line to get your food choices & pay at the end. Indicate whether it is take out or eat in, so it can be packaged. Tents over food prep and some tables, outdoor seating & tent over raffle tables. We prefer cash but have a card chip or swipe.
There is our great basket raffle. Last year over 55 baskets. This year gift cards $20-$50 from local grocery, amazon, tjMaxx, Coopers & more ,AirPods, cash prizes many valued from $25-$100 and more theme baskets. Thank you to local stores & folks for donating a basket. Instant Bingo & 50/50. We have a huge amount of sponsorships, we are blessed! Please frequent any retail or service business that supports us. Paid ads will be in the Scranton Times Sunday & Wed Aug 4 & 7 with $1 off coupon. Check out our billboard Main Ave. at W Lackawanna. The Catholic Light will also feature an ad with coupon during their July 18 publication. Be sure to clip, save and bring with you. Thank you St. Vladimir Church on 7th Ave. for allowing us to use your kitchen for baking our pastries.
We have some great music playing ethnic regional choices on speakers. Please contact melkite.scranton@gmail.com with any questions prior to the event since admin will be working the fest. Follow us on facebook @melkitescranton for the most up to date coverage. Be sure to support all our dedicated sponsors, whose signs will be hanging in the tented area. Or if you would like to sponsor the fest with a sign, please contact the email above to have a form sent. We would need these by the end of July to have a banner prepared for you. Thank you to PostNet on Main who makes our banners.
Some of our volunteers:
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2023 Our 22nd annual Lebanese-American Food Festival-
Friday Aug 11 4-9pm, Sat Aug 12 4-9pm, Sun Aug 13 1-7pm
We are offering the following foods as last year.
Delicious homemade Lebanese Foods: Kibbee, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Spinach & Meat Pies, Chicken Shish Kebobs, tabouli, garlic tuom, bread, etc… Pastries include baklawa, shredded wheat with cheese/nuts, farina, plus cakes, cupcakes, tandy cakes & cookies. Local picnic favorites are sausage & pepper sandwich on hard roll, potato pancakes, pizza frita, fries, burgers & hotdogs with or without chili sauce, canned beer, soda & water (no clams this year) Priced menu for above will be posted prior to event for viewing- There is no pre-order or curbside pickup. Walk through the line to get your food choices & pay at the end. Indicate whether it is take out or eat in, so it can be packaged. Tents over food prep and some tables, outdoor seating & tent over raffle tables. We prefer cash but have a card chip or swipe.
There is our great basket raffle. Last year over 55 baskets, gift cards, cash prizes. Thank you to local stores & folks for donating a basket. Instant Bingo & 50/50.
Please enter off lower Jackson St. as Cabrini is a one-way. Parking is limited, you may wish to park in the surrounding area near St. Lucy, Jackson St., Ninth Ave. or Main Ave. and walk in. Please contact melkite.scranton@gmail.com with any questions. Follow us on facebook @melkitescranton for the most up to date coverage. Be sure to support all our dedicated sponsors, whose signs will be hanging in the tented area. Or if you would like to sponsor the fest with a sign, please contact the email above to have a form sent. We would need these by the end of July to have a banner made in time. Read about our prior food festivals below on this page.
Look for our paid ads in the Sunday Scranton Times (Aug 6 Lifestyles section) & Wed. Aug 9 for coupons for $1 off food item purchase. See also our recipe for shredded wheat w/ricotta (Knafeh) homemade by Karen Abda Kane & Kathie Abda Barrett based on their Mom’s recipe. It is a popular dessert! Thanks to the paper for their support in publishing this nice article.
Look for more information as the weeks progress.
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Thank you to our church community & the Scranton community at large for supporting our Food Fest 2022.
2022 FOOD FEST will be held the weekend of Fri-Sun Aug 12-14. See Aug 7 and Aug 10 Scranton Times for coupon for $1 off plus our ad. Click through on digital copy.
Delicious homemade Lebanese Foods: Kibbee, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Spinach & Meat Pies, Shish Kebobs, tabouli, garlic tuom, bread, etc… Pastries include baklawa, shredded wheat with cheese/nuts, farina, plus cakes, cupcakes & cookies. Local picnic favorites are sausage & peppers, potato pancakes, pizza frita, burgers & hotdogs with or without chili sauce, canned beer, etc. (no clams this year)(Pastries run around $3.00 piece to approx $14 for sampler 4 pack) Priced menu for above will be posted prior to Friday.
Food Fest is on the left side in the parking lot near the trees across from church. We are all outdoors but tented under some tables, food prep and baskets.
Set up is the same as last year where you come thru the line and get your items. Payment at the end either cash or credit/debit card swipe. Takeout from the line under the tented area or Limited outdoor seating.
Over 50 variety baskets offered including gift certificates, cash and products & toys. Please see some of our photos from last year below. We will be updating the page as the event gets near.
Please be cautious on Cabrini Avenue since this is a one-way street and a popular “fast” short cut to other areas. Adults and children will be crossing back and forth with foods and in preparation throughout the event PLEASE drive slowly and be aware. Our church was founded 125 years ag0 in a residential neighborhood surrounded by homes and apartments. The residents are very patient with our festival since it disrupts their regular lifestyle, parking and sound. We appreciate their help in having the fest within them. Please stay on food fest grounds if eating & dispose of trash & recyclables in cans provided.
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2021 Food Fest: Thank you to all our sign sponsors,patrons, neighbors and especially our great families and youthful volunteers, who make the food festival a happy fun event. To our chair people of food fest, food prep, logistics, basket raffle, sponsorships, advertising, cleanup crews = a heartfelt THANK YOU!
20th Annual Lebanese-American Food Festival Aug 13-15, 2021
Delicious homemade Lebanese Foods: Kibbee, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Spinach & Meat Pies, Shish Kebobs, tabouli, garlic, bread, etc… Pastries include baklawa, shredded wheat with cheese/nuts, farina,[plus cakes, cupcakes & cookies. Local picnic favorites are sausage & peppers, potato pancakes, pizza frita, burgers & hotdogs, clams, canned beer, etc.
Set up is the same as last year where you come thru the line and get your items. Payment at the end either cash or credit/debit card swipe. Limited seating. You can preorder after Aug 8 by calling the rectory at the number above. The priced menu is above. (Pastries run around $3.00 piece to approx $12 for sampler 4 pack) Payment accepted by phone to credit card. Curbside & Takeout from church sidewalk on right side of street-please see designated area to pull in. Food Fest is on the left side in the parking lot near the trees across from church. We are all outdoors.
Over 50 variety baskets offered including gift certificates, cash and items. Please see some of our photos from last year below. We will be updating the page as the event gets near.
Please be cautious on Cabrini Avenue since this is a one-way street and a popular short cut to other areas. Adults and children will be crossing back and forth with foods and in preparation throughout the event PLEASE drive slowly and be aware. Our church was built 124 years ag0 in a residential neighborhood surrounded by homes and apartments. The residents are very patient with our festival since it disrupts their regular lifestyle, parking and sound. We appreciate their help in having the fest within them. Please stay on food fest grounds.
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A Heartfelt Thank You to all of Northeastern PA who supported our
2020 Summer Food Festival.
We hope you enjoyed the food this year.
We certainly enjoyed seeing all again. We think of you as family and you are very dear to us. Please pray for us as we shall remember you in our thoughts and prayers.
A blessed rest of 2020. God willing we will see you again next year!
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Our 2019 Festival.
Thank you to everyone who participated, sponsored, volunteered, ate, advertised, shared, etc. at our event. More pictures coming.
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2018 Festival
It was a pleasure to welcome all to our 17th annual Food Festival August 10-11-12, 2018. Thank you for your support in any way: sponsorships, donations, food donations and baked goods, volunteering for multiple tasks before, during and after, cleaning up, basket donations, smiling. Thanks to our residential neighbors to withstood the inconvenience to their homes & vehicles during the event.
If you missed our food fest and would like to make a donation- see our donate button on the tab marked “donate/amazon smile”
Preparing for and completing this event is a tall order for our very small parish community but we are up to the task. We do this through the wonderful foods prepared by the men,women & children of our parish & their friends and by the hospitality that we offer to our guests. We are proud to share our Melkite Greek-Catholic religious heritage & All-American Northeast PA Picnic favorites & Lebanese foods with all who are interested. Some of our families descend from the original founders of our church over 100 years ago (see the 100 year tab) while many have joined our parish to experience the rich traditions of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and Services. We are from all ethnic backgrounds and locations in Scranton & other states and found that we can continue the work of the ancestors of our parish through worship and recipes passed down through the generations.
Our Food Festival helps us raise needed funds for the church, but more importantly, it brings friends and strangers together to share a meal and offers our parishioners a chance to serve the Lord through service to our neighbor. It is our hope that we grow in the love of Christ our God through our sacrifice and hard work, especially at the festival.